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Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Audio Book Review: Redfall: Freedom Fighters: American Prepper Series, Book 2 by Jay J. Falconer

There is continued action and forward plot movement in this second book that provides solid entertainment.
Redfall: Freedom Fighters: American Prepper Series, Book 2
Written by: Jay J. Falconer
Narrated by: Gary Tiedemann
Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
Series: American Prepper, Book 2
Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date:03-29-16
Publisher: BookBreeze.com
Genre: Sci Fi
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0


Publisher's Summary
When the red rain stops, will civilization survive?
As militant groups arm themselves and take to the streets, survivalist Simon Redfall and his band of freedom fighters scramble to uncover more facts about the swarm of red storms suffocating the planet.
The more they dig, the deeper the conspiracy grows. Yet, it all seems to point back to one man and his weather control technology, Jeffrey Hansen. A former military intelligence officer who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
When more of the puzzle comes together, Simon realizes the threat to humanity is even greater than anyone could have ever imagined. Something sinister is about to crawl out of the shadows and reveal itself.
No one is safe.
No one can stop it.
No one saw it coming.
Rated R for violence, language, sexual situations, and bloodshed.
©2016 Jay J. Falconer (P)2016 Jay J. Falconer


Review:
This installment picks up where the first book ended and I do recommend reading book one first. The story follows seven important characters or groups.

Simon is helping Tally and the other teens at Pandora take precautions for safer survival. The kids have pulled together materials to a make a Faraday cage for their computer room. While they are working on this, a young man walks up claiming to be from sent by Tally’s brother, Wyatt. He has sent a message that Jericho has been attacked by an unknown military force. Tally freaks out and wants to rush to her brother’s side even though the message is to stay away. Before they can execute a plan to check out the truth of the boy’s story, a military team shows up at Pandora.

A Nighthawk team is on their way to retrieve misdirected weapons when they receive orders to find Simon Redfall and get him to meet with General Nate Rawlings, and Director of National Intelligence, Nancy Wiggins. The government leaders need Simon’s help to find Jeffrey Hanson, the owner of Rain Tech, who may have something to do with the red rain.

Simon coerces the reluctant and adversarial Nighthawk team to accompany them to Jericho in exchange for Simon’s cooperation. When they arrive at Wyatt’s farm tensions quickly escalate. Then the rain stops as another unusual weather event brings a new form of chaos.

Meanwhile General Rawlings was on his way to a meeting with Wiggins when he takes a detour. He wakes up from a car crash facing a noxious group of Pennsylvanian hillbillies; the Carmichael brothers who are Wyatt’s rivals. Back in Washington, D.C., Wiggins is wondering where the General is when a strange electrical strike wreaks havoc on her meeting.

The head of Indigo Technologies takes a dive while spying on Nighthawk’s playboy leader. Indigo's "clean-up" guy, Zeke, is brought to the Indigo command center, where the cadre of lawyers and accountants introduce him to the inner workings of the mega company that seems to control much more than just security.

Jeffrey Hanson has made a ransom offer to buy his way out of the dilemma he swam into. He awakes to find himself abandoned in the bowls of a rusty cargo ship in an unknown port.

The story moves along at a quick pace with the variety of scenes, most with intense action; physical and emotional. As the warning notes, there is violence and brutality consistent (sadly) with lawless gangs.

A couple of the pieces of the conspiracy are beginning to be connected. I was wrapped up in anticipation of finding how all of it fits…just when this book ends. Now I have to wait for the next book to continue, and hopefully, resolve the puzzle.

Audio Notes: Once again Gary Tiedemann does a good job portraying the various characters. He provides the continual intensity and emotion that maintains the focus on the story. One issue I have with this book is Tally’s panicking and hysteria. I don’t know if her behavior would be quite so annoying in print as it was in the audio. I suppose this might be realistic for a teen girl scared for her brother but I found it stupid, inconsistent with her logical personality, and very annoying in the listening mode.

I received this audio book from the author for an honest review. It qualifies for my Audio Challenge.

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Sunday Post May 15, 2016/It's Monday! What are You Reading? Plus Mailbox Monday May 16, 2016



I am linking with Sunday Post at Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading now at The Book Date.
Thank you to Sheila for the years that she handled this meme.
Thank you to Kathryn for taking up the baton.
What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I had another busy week; not so much traveling but lots of office work. We spent the weekend away visiting our son and d-i-l and celebrating the "gender reveal" party for their twins: one of each!  The weather was beautiful.


I got a lot of reading in but not as many reviews as I hoped. I finished five books: three ebooks and two audios. I posted three reviews and my usual memes.

I enjoyed visiting other blogs early in the week but then didn't get back to do more.
Thanks as always to all the nice people who visit me.

These were last week's posts:

Finished Reading:
1. eBook/Kindle (NG)


Hold Your Breath (Search and Rescue)
by Katie Ruggle
I really liked this.
My review is linked above.




2. Audio/MP3 (Author)


Redfall: Freedom Fighters: American Prepper Series, Book 2
Written by: Jay J. Falconer
Narrated by: Gary Tiedemann
I enjoyed this sequel. My review to post this week.
Click on book title for full description.



3. eBook/Kindle (PBG)


Carnations in January
by Clare Revell
Nice writing but, sadly, I didn't care for the heroine.
My review to post this week.

Click on book title for full description.



4. eBook/Kindle (PBG)


Violets in February
by Clare Revell
This one, about a missionary doctor in the jungle, I really liked.
My review to post this week.

Click on book title for full description.



5. Audio/MP3 (Narrator)


Making Amends
Written by: Melinda Clayton
Narrated by: Michelle Babb
This is more drama than suspense. 
Quite engaging. 
I hope to get my review posted this week.
Click on book title for full description.




Currently reading:
1. eBook/Kindle (Author)


First Fruits
by Brad Duncan
I am liking the beginning of this and interested to see how it develops.
I received this from the author for an honest review.
Pastor Patrick Spakes is a huge success in the eyes of the world. He's the husband of a beautiful wife, and dad of two healthy kids, and leads a large growing church. It appears he's living a happy and blessed life, but appearances can be decieving. Serving the church has drained him to the point his family feels abandoned.
Christy Spakes loves her husband, but feels tired and lonely as her husband makes the church his priority.
Deacon Joe Smith loves the power and prestige he has acquired in his church being best friends with the church's pastor.
What happens when the popular Pastor of a growing church is faced with a crisis of belief? When life spirals out of control where will he place his faith? How will his well-to-do congregation respond to the challenge of sacrificing for God? First Fruits is the inspiring story of what happens when everyday people are challenged to give their very best to God.



2. Audible/MP3 (TBR)


Old Man's War
Written by: John Scalzi
Narrated by: William Dufris
I pulled this from my Audible Library for a TBR and "O" read.
Publisher's Summary
John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First, he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army.
The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce - and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So, we fight, to defend Earth and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding.
Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets.
John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea of what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine. And what he will become is far stranger.
©2005 John Scalzi (P)2007 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers LLC




3. eBook/Kindle (Author)


Embattlement: The Undergrounders Series Book Two 
(A Young Adult Science Fiction Dystopian Novel)
by Norma Hinkens
I enjoyed book 1 and am looking forward to continuing this conflict. I received this from the author.
The Undergrounders prevail. The Craniopolis falls. But victory proves bittersweet.
Against all odds, Derry and a handful of survivors escape the malevolent Doctor Lyong’s clutches, but no one knows if Owen is dead or alive. The shaky plan to rescue him falls apart when the Council splits over rumors of Owen’s ties to the Craniopolis. Forced to find new recruits Derry makes the treacherous journey to Shoshane City, home of the mysterious riders. Mutiny and sabotage is afoot and Derry finds herself caught up in a desperate struggle to save the city from being destroyed by The Ghost, a man who swears allegiance to no one. Time is running out to save Owen, and tensions are rising between Jakob and Sven, who may turn out to be a deadly distraction.
Will Derry emerge victorious from the showdown at the Craniopolis, or will the price of freedom mean sacrificing the man she loves?
Embattlement is the second book in The Undergrounders Series, a sci-fi dystopian thriller trilogy. If you like captivating apocalyptic tales, gritty complex heroines, and twists you won’t see coming, then you’ll love this fast-paced, end-of-the-world adventure!



May 8, 2016 - Current with Reading The One Year Bible again along with my husband and others from our church. I will also be listening (sometimes) to the companion commentary online.

I only posted three reviews last week. I have five reviews to post coming into this week.

I am finally getting to  the five nine, now seven nine (again) author ebook reviews committed with no specific dates.
My NetGalley shelves are down to four which I will continue to work on next week.




A Tale of Two Prom Dates

Evie Alexis
This 'prom' short story has been added this week to eTreasure's NetGalley titles.




Welcome to Mailbox Monday.
Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday. Thanks to the ladies sharing hosting duties: Leslie of Under My Apple Tree, Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and Vicki of I'd Rather Be at the Beach. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

This week I didn't receive any review titles although I am expecting some audio titles to come in.
I needed to resist some offers so I can get caught up on the ones in queue.
I picked up only one kindle title for $.99.
I added more free kindle titles to my library. Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Review Titles
NONE

Won
NONE

Purchased

I picked up one title for $.99:

Footsteps in Time (The After Cilmeri Series Book 1)
I have another time travel by this author who I keep eyeing. I want to try this series.

Free

Over the past week I added another 44 free Kindle titles to my library. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Ereader News Today, Free Par-tay, Ignite Your Book, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.

Sunday Words of Encouragement May 15, 2016

(We were away in our RV again this weekend for a family event. I had trouble getting the internet to work on my computer when we arrived home so this is particularly late. But -- better late than never.)

A month or so ago the Brother we are helping in Haiti shared words about the BOB’s (Band of Brothers) ministry to Haiti. When the men went to Haiti to build the church/school with the supplies that were donated and sent by the cargo ship, that showed the love of Christ to others. When we share the Bible, especially in action, we share the message and hope of everlasting life.

We are blessed in our country and sometimes don’t recognize the needs beyond. There are children who have no school to attend and have limited food and clean water. Our God is omniscient; Psalm 139. He prepared our Haitian Brother to teach. He was hungry for learning and now he leads by taking care of his brothers and sisters first. Acts 11:27-30.

The church/school we helped can only take 100 children to start. They already have a youth club with 175 youths!

Our Brother noted that we all have fingers that are different. They are short and long but together they function as a hand that can work. It is our privilege and blessing to help each other and pray for each other. We do God’s work, not by our own power but by the Spirit.
God is the source of provision but He uses men as a conduit to share the water and the word of God. We must be careful not to stop up the pipeline of provision by our disobedience.
He noted the top five needs for the people he is ministering to in Haiti:
1. God
2. Education
3. Health / food
4. Water
5. Sanitation
Please help us by praying for this ministry.

I found this song for today's message:
Live Like That!

Verses for Today:
Acts 11:27-30
29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Lord-- please use me to help spread Your Love and the word of Your salvation.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Sharing Beyond Books #252 Comment Giveaway May 14, 2016

Hello again and Welcome to Sharing Beyond Books, SBB!
My work week was busy. We had a lovely day with family today with a "gender reveal" party for our daughter-in-law. We are having fraternal grandchildren - a boy and a girl!! :-)

Thanks to everyone who commented last week and "Welcome" to some new visitors.

 All eighteen of us agree that it is not appropriate for an author to ask a reviewer for a rating above a certain point. Only a few had this type of experience. Several reviewers had tour leaders ask them not to post a negative review during the tour and that was acceptable.

~~~~~

The Winner from SBB #251 comments is: #16 Mariska who can make a GC choice if international or book choice from the Updated ARC/Review titles or (not yet updated) Love titles - all linked near the end of the post. [I'm hoping to update the book choices - maybe the beginning of next year, lol.] Please let me know your choice by completing the WINNER FORM.

WEEK #252
(One Question.)
Nikki asks: Do you have any celebrity crushes? Please share a few. And, have you ever noticed some similarities between those crushes??
I have never been much of a one for crushes. Although years ago I really liked Kevin Costner (when we were both a bit younger - ha ha). There have been a couple of foreign actors I liked although I had to look up their names so I doubt that would qualify as a crush: Gerard Butler and Viggo Mortensen from LOTR.
Image from fanpop.

Thanks to those who are sending in Questions. DON'T BE SHY! Surely everyone has a Q or two you'd like to ask. Input suggestions in this Suggested Question Form. At the end of each month I draw from the suggestions I used during the month and that person will get a book choice or GC. I thank everyone for submitting questions. Thanks for sending in questions! The supply of questions is dwindling so share some if you think of any -- even if they are duplicates I'll weed through or try to modify to use.

Your turn to share:
Nikki asks: Do you have any celebrity crushes? Please share a few. And, have you ever noticed some similarities between those crushes??

SBB Comment Winners can choose a selection from the Valentine and "Love" books or the February 2015 Newly Updated ARC/Review List. (My daughter pulled several of the Christmas titles to give with gift bags we made up for the nursing homes. One of these days I will get together a new box of Christmas titles.)

SBB Rules:
a) Must be a follower.
b) Share a comment on the question above.
Open internationally and an international winner may get a smaller book or a $5.00 GC if I decide the mailing is too much.
I will pick a Comment winner from all comments made through Saturday May 21, 2016 at 5 PM central.

Book Review: Hold Your Breath (Search and Rescue) by Katie Ruggle

This is romantic suspense just as I like it: strong on suspense, convincing characters and a passionate, but not graphic, romance.
Hold Your Breath (Search and Rescue)
by Katie Ruggle
File Size: 1553 KB
Print Length: 386 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1492628174
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (April 5, 2016)
ASIN: B017HX13DA
Genre: Romantic Suspense
My Rating: 5.0 of 5.0


An Amazon Best Book of the Month!
“Sexy and suspenseful, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”—Julie Ann Walker, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
“Chills and thrills and a sexy slow-burning romance from a terrific new voice.”—D.D. Ayres, author of the K-9 Rescue Series
In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder...
When captain of Field County's ice rescue dive team, Callum Cook, meets new diver Louise "Lou" Sparks, his orderly existence is obliterated in an instant. Lou is a hurricane. A walking disaster. And with her, he's never felt more alive...even if keeping her safe may just kill him.
Lou’s new to the Rockies, intent on escaping her controlling ex, and she’s determined to make it on her own terms…no matter how tempting Callum may be. But when a routine training exercise unearths a body, Lou and Callum find themselves thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a killer who’ll stop at nothing to silence Lou—and prove that not even her new Search and Rescue family can keep her safe forever.


Review:
Lou Sparks is a smart, strong minded young woman who chose to escape the control of her family by moving to a remote community in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. She is training on the Search & Rescue dive team where the divers work in freezing lakes instead of sunny, warm island waters of recreational diving. As the only woman on the team she has to work doubly hard to assert her independence and to gain the confidence and trust of the team.

Callum Cook is the strong, intense and obsessively controlled team leader who is struggling to maintain his control around this new, spontaneous team member. Although her exuberance is sometimes alarming to him, the rest of her he finds totally alluring.

There are other men in town who appreciate Lou’s beauty and strengths. During training Lou kicks up a submerged body making her feel invested in determining the identity of the victim and solving the murder. The local sheriff, Rob, is prepared to investigate and warns Lou not to ‘stick her nose’ where it doesn’t belong. Meanwhile, someone is out there who is stalking Lou. First it is ugly pranks like cutting her tires. Then the threats begin to escalate; even more so when the stalker realizes that Callum is stepping in to assert a protective mode over Lou.

I enjoyed the characters and plot in this from beginning to end. There are other male characters to tempt Lou and make the reader wonder. There is consistent action in the dive training even before real accidents and the stalker increase the suspense.

The romance develops with nice tension and no need to be graphic, which made me even happier with the author. The suspense element is the primary focus of the story with the add on of a nice, strong but sweet romance. This is just the way I like my romantic suspense and I will look to read more by Ms. Ruggle.

I received this title through NetGalley. It qualifies for my NetGalley challenge and H for Alphabet Soup.

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